JPH039235A - Method and device for detecting gas leak in gas-containing liquid container - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To inspect a leak in the container efficiently and accurately by performing the inspection while the mouth part of the gas-containing liquid container is open to the outside or sealed. CONSTITUTION:An inspection device 30 is equipped with a sampling part 32 for sampling the atmosphere of the mouth part of the container 9, an air pressure cylinder 34 which drives the sampling part 32 downward so as to fit the sampling part in the mouth part of the container at the time of individual inspection, a position adjusting device 36, and the gas detecting device 40 which detects the gas in the sampled atmosphere. In a 1st stage, the mouth part of the container 9 is opened to the outside and the atmosphere is sampled. In this state, the atmosphere of the mouth part of the container 9 is sampled and the leak of the gas in the sampled atmosphere is detected; when no leak is detected, detection as a 2nd stage is performed and the atmosphere is sampled while the mouth part of the container 9 is sealed, so that the gas in the atmosphere is detected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for detecting gas leakage from a seal at the mouth of a gas-containing liquid container, particularly a carbon dioxide-containing beverage container such as a beer keg. .

[Prior Art] A carbon dioxide gas-containing beverage container such as a beer barrel is constructed by attaching a fitting to an opening formed in the upper part of a metal body. A sealing portion configured as a rubber gasket is provided at the fitting portion between the fitting and the main body to prevent gas from inside from leaking to the outside. However, in such seals, the rubber packing deteriorates due to repeated use over a long period of time, causing sealing failures and leakage of internal carbon dioxide gas or beverages. In order to detect such gas leaks, a conventional method has been to inject water into a recess formed at the mouth of a container and visually observe the bubbles rising in the water. However, this method requires the worker to constantly observe the work carefully and has the problem of forcing the worker to overwork. In addition, if the water injected into the recess has ripples or eddies, small air bubbles may rise in the water. Since the water in the recesses cannot be seen, it is necessary to wait until the water in the recesses has completely stopped before observing it, which has the disadvantage of poor work efficiency.

In order to eliminate these drawbacks, a detection head is attached to the mouth of the container in a fitting manner, the detection head is connected to a suction type gas measuring device, the gas concentration in the atmosphere at the mouth is measured, and the gas concentration from the mouth is measured. A method for detecting gas leaks has been proposed. For example, see Japanese Patent Application No. 171837.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] This improved method does not force workers to do excessive work such as observing air bubbles, and does not allow water poured into the recessed part of the mouth to settle until it becomes still. It also helps speed up leak detection work. However, gas leakage from the container is often accompanied by leakage of beverage, and the beverage that leaks from the container ends up being stored in the recess. In this state, when testing is performed by fitting the detection head to the four parts of the mouth as in the conventional technology, not only the gas in the atmosphere but also the beverage will be sucked in by the detection head, and the gas measuring device will pass through the detection head and the detection head. Beverage adhesion to the measurement and piping system occurs.

In this case, even if it is possible to detect a gas leak from that container, it becomes impossible to continue the detection work for the container. In other words, if measurement is continued with beverages adhering to the detection head or piping, etc., gas will continue to be generated from the adhering beverage for a considerable period of time, making it impossible to distinguish it from gas leaking from the mouth of the container to be detected. It is from. In such cases, it is necessary to purge the detection device with clean air to remove the adhering beverage, or to replace parts of the detection head itself, which is a very time-consuming task.

In addition, in the conventional inspection method, when the detection head is fitted to the mouth of the container and the atmosphere in the recess is sucked, the atmosphere in the recess becomes a reduced pressure state, which prevents the close contact between the mouth of the container and the detection head. When the conditions are mild, the surrounding atmosphere tends to flow into the mouth, and especially in carbonated beverage manufacturing factories, the concentration of carbon dioxide gas contained in the surrounding atmosphere is often high, so if the surrounding atmosphere leaks, it will cause a large measurement error. may occur. In conventional technology, in order to avoid errors caused by the inflow of the surrounding atmosphere, the detection head is fitted into the mouth via an elastic sealing member such as a rubber gasket, and measurements are taken in a state that is sealed from the surrounding atmosphere. However, in this case, in order to suck the atmosphere from the recess to the measuring instrument, a suction device that can withstand a considerable degree of depressurization is required.In addition, the gas inside the instrument becomes diluted, which effectively reduces the sensitivity of the measuring instrument. The problem is that small gas leaks cannot be detected.

Further, in the prior art, it is not possible to distinguish and detect gas leaks from a plurality of seals in the recessed portion of the mouth of the container. If a gas leak is detected, it is necessary to perform repairs such as replacing the rubber gasket used in the seal at the mouth, but conventional technology cannot identify the location of the leak, so it is detected that there is a gas leak. There is an inconvenience in that it requires double work to pour water into the recessed part of the mouth and visually inspect the container.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The gas leak detection method of the present invention guides the atmosphere sampled from the mouth of a gas-containing liquid container to the detection area, and detects the gas in the atmosphere. The first step is to collect the atmosphere from the mouth of the containing liquid container with the mouth open to the outside. Gas leak detection is performed, and if it is determined that there is no gas leak from the gas leak detection in the first stage, sampling of the atmosphere from the mouth of the gas-containing liquid container in the second stage It is characterized in that it is carried out in a sealed state, and the presence or absence of gas leakage is detected.

The gas leak detection device for a gas-containing liquid container of the present invention includes a transport means for transporting a liquid container containing a gas to be detected, and a method for sampling the atmosphere at the mouth of the container containing a gas to be detected at a predetermined station along the transport means. A first sampling means is carried out with the opening of the container open to the outside, and a second sampling means is carried out with the opening of the container sealed to the outside at a predetermined station along the conveying means. (2) sampling means, a detection means for detecting gas in the atmosphere sampled by the first sampling means and the second sampling means, and when no gas is detected in the atmosphere sampled by the first sampling means; , a control means for controlling the second sampling means to sample the atmosphere.

According to the present invention, the sampling device for detecting leakage of a gas-containing liquid container, which collects gas by fitting into the mouth of the container and sealing the mouth from the outside, includes a plurality of gas-containing liquid containers located at the mouth of the container. each head is individually movable for independently externally sealing each seal, each head having a gas inlet and a gas inlet connected to a carrier gas supply; It is characterized in that it comprises a means for detecting gas and a gas outlet connected thereto.

[Effect]

In the process of the gas leak detection method, in the first step, the mouth of the container is opened to the outside and sampling of the atmosphere is carried out. In this state, the atmosphere at the mouth of the container is sampled, and leakage of gas in the sampled atmosphere is detected. If leakage is detected, the second stage of detection is not performed. Only when no leakage is detected, the next second stage of detection is performed, in which the atmosphere is sampled with the mouth of the container sealed to the outside, and the gas in the atmosphere is detected.

In the operation of the gas leak detection device, the container to be detected is sent on the conveying means, and when it reaches a predetermined station, the atmosphere at the mouth is collected from the outside by the first sampling means, and then the second sampling is carried out. The atmosphere of the mouth is sampled in a sealed manner to the outside by the means. The detection means detects the leakage of gas in the atmosphere sampled by the first sampling means and the second sampling means, and the control means detects the leakage of gas in the atmosphere sampled by the first sampling means. Only when there was no
Atmosphere sampling is performed using the second sampling means.

When sampling an atmosphere by sealing, each independently movable head of the sampling device independently seals each leakage point, and each head supplies the carrier gas with the sealed atmosphere. Together with the carrier gas supplied from the source, they are individually introduced into the gas sensing means without contaminating the surrounding atmosphere of the container.

[Example] Figure 1 shows the detection head and container 9 of the leakage testing device of the present invention.
This figure shows the mouth of a beer barrel, which is an example of this. The mouth part 10 of the barrel is made of a metal material, and an opening 10a is formed at the upper end, and a fitting 12 is removably attached to the opening 10a, so that it can be replaced if it is determined to be a defective product that causes gas leakage. I can do it. As is well known, the fitting 12 consists of several parts: a central member 12-1, an annular member 12-2 surrounding the central member 12-1, and a plug 12- disposed around the central member 12-1 and screwed into the opening 10a of the barrel mouth 10.
3. These three independent members 12-
1゜12-2.12-3 constitutes the fitting 12, so there is a gap between members 12-1 and 12-2 (hereinafter referred to as inner leakage part An annular gap (hereinafter referred to as outer leakage part Z) is formed between the intermediate leakage part Y), the member 12-3 and the mouth part 10 of the barrel, and sealing means for these gaps is provided. however,
If the sealing performance deteriorates due to deterioration of the seal due to continued use over a long period of time, there is a risk of gas leakage. This invention has the following features added so that gas leakage from each seal portion can be detected individually.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of a leakage inspection system for containers to be inspected (for example, beer barrels) according to an embodiment of the present invention, and 20 is a conveyor, and the conveyor 20 is to be subjected to a leakage inspection. A gas-containing liquid container 9 is transported. In this embodiment, a first stopper 22 is disposed along the conveyor on the upstream side in the direction of movement (arrow A), and a second stopper 24 is disposed on the downstream side. First stopper 2
2 operates to stop the flow of containers so that two or more containers do not accumulate at the downstream second stopper 24. Immediately after the first stopper 22 is released, the switch (2) is turned on and the preliminary inspection is started. The second stopper 24 defines an individual inspection position, and when a container to be inspected arrives at this position, switch 2 is turned on and the container 9 is temporarily stopped at this position. During the stop, the switch ■ remains on.

An inspection device 30 is provided close to the individual inspection position. The inspection device 30 includes a frame 31, a sampling section 32 for sampling the atmosphere at the mouth of the container 9, and is fixed on the frame 31, and is lowered so that the sampling section 32 fits into the mouth of the container during individual inspection. A driven pneumatic cylinder 34 and a sampling section 3
2 and the cylinder 34, and a gas detection device 40 that is fixed to the frame 31 and detects gas in the atmosphere sampled by the sampling section 32.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 showing detailed configurations of the sampling section 32 and the position adjuster 36, the sampling section 32 includes an inner head 42, an intermediate head 44, and an outer head 46, which are arranged as described below. It is possible to move independently. The intermediate head 44 is formed into a cylindrical shape and has a hole 44a in the center.
The inner head 42 is inserted into 4a. Similarly, the outer head 46 is cylindrical and has a hole 46b in the center, into which the intermediate head 44 is inserted. A presser plate 48 is fixed to the upper end of the outer head 46 by bolts 50. The holding plate 48 has a hole 48a formed in the center, into which the support rod 52 is inserted. A flange portion 52a at the lower end of the support rod 52 is fixed to the upper end of the intermediate head 44 by bolts 54. The outer head 46 has a conical guide opening 46a that widens at the lower end.
This guide opening 46a forms a head 4 when the sampling device 32 descends toward the mouth of the container 9 to be detected.
6 to ensure that it is introduced into the mouth of the container 9 (see FIG. 1).

A first annular gasket 56 is attached to a recessed portion of the outer head 46. This gasket 56 forms an annular recess 56a having a size that straddles the outer leakage part Z shown in FIG. The leakage gas is sent to the cell together with the carrier gas via the annular space. For rapid detection, it is desirable that the volume of this annular space be as small as possible. The recess 56a is a detection passage 60 within the outer body 46.
, is connected to the sensing device via the union 62. As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of unions 62 are provided at diametrically opposite positions, and as will be described later, one is connected to the clean air supply side and the other is connected to the atmosphere side via the detection cell. A second annular packing 64 is attached to the distal end portion of the intermediate head 44.

This gasket 64 forms an annular recess 64a having a size that straddles the intermediate leakage part Y shown in FIG. The leakage gas is sent to the cell together with the carrier gas via the annular space. As described above, it is desirable that the volume of this annular space be as small as possible for rapid detection. The recess 64a is connected to a sensing device via a sensing passage 68 and a union 70 in the intermediate body 44. As shown in FIG. 4, the outer head 46 forms a pair of grooves 46e for allowing the union 70 to escape. Third annular packing 7
2 is attached to the annular groove at the tip of the inner head 42.

This packing 72 has dimensions to fit into the member 12-1 shown in FIG. 1, and seals the inner leakage part It is sent to the cell via the space between the packing 72 and the packing 72. This space is connected to a detection device via a detection passage 73 and a union 74 in the inner body 42. Aligned grooves 44f for relief of the union 74 as shown in FIG.
, 46f are formed in the head 46.44.

In FIG. 3, the spring 80 urges the inner head 42 downward via the presser rod 58, and when the shoulder 42a hits the intermediate head 44, further downward displacement is stopped. The spring 82 urges the outer head 46 downward via the holding plate 48, and when the holding plate 48 hits the flange portion 52a, further downward displacement is stopped. The spring 82 serves to define the contact pressure of the outer head 46 against the container 9, and the spring 80 serves to define the contact pressure of the inner head 42 against the container. Further, the contact pressure of the intermediate head 44 with respect to the container is determined by the air pressure generated by the air cylinder 34.

The position adjuster 36 is connected to the air cylinder 34 relative to the container to be detected.
This serves to help ensure that the sampling device 32 fits into the opening of the container to be detected even if the position of the sampling device 32 changes within the tolerance. The position adjuster 36 has a lower stage 88,
It includes an upper stage 90, a lower plate 92, and an upper plate 94. The lower stage 88 is the collection device 32
The upper stage 9 is screwed onto the holding plate 52 of the
0 is connected to a piston 34a of an air cylinder 34 by a pin 34b. The lower plate 92 is the lower stage 8
The upper plate 94 forms an opening 94a into which the upper stage 90 is freely inserted. A bolt 98 is screwed into the upper plate 94 through the free bolt hole 92b of the lower plate 92, and a spring 99 is disposed between the head of the bolt 98 and the plate 92, so that the lower stage 88 and the upper stage 90 are interconnected,
In addition, if there is some deviation between the axis of the cylinder and the axis of the mouth of the container to be detected, a lower stage 8 is installed to absorb this deviation.
8 relative to the lower plate 92, misalignment between the axis of the cylinder and the axis of the mouth of the container to be detected, and rotation of the upper plate 94 with respect to the pin, and fitting the collection part 32 to the mouth of the container. urge In order to smoothly adjust the position by horizontal movement and rotation of the position adjuster 36, there are gaps between the lower plate 92 and the lower stage 88, between the lower stage and the upper stage 90,
Bearings 100, 102, 104 are arranged between the upper stage 90 and the upper plate 94. Further, the upper stage 90 has a shallow conical groove 90a formed on its lower surface, and a ball 110 biased by a spring 108 is disposed in this groove 90a to ensure the self-centering return function of the position adjuster 36. Ru. That is, with respect to the horizontal relative movement of the position adjuster 36 that occurs when the sampling device 32 is fitted into the mouth of the container, when the sampling device 32 is raised by the actuation of the cylinder after gas sampling, the position adjuster 36 The horizontal external force applied to the conical groove 90a is removed, and the force applied by the ball 110 to the shallow conical groove 90a acts to align the axis of the collector 32 with the axis of the cylinder.

FIG. 5 is a piping diagram showing the gas detector 40 in relation to the sampling section IO. The detection unit 120 of the gas detector 40 includes four sets of carbon dioxide detection units 120-1 using an infrared gas analysis method.
．． 120-. Consists of 2.120-3.120-4,
Each detection unit includes a plurality of detection cells each serving as a space with a small predetermined volume. Cell 121 is for front-stage detection, and cell 1
22-1.122-2.122-3 is installed for individual detection. Clean air source 124 is pressure reducing valve 125
, on-off valve 126. Piping 131- through throttle 128
1゜131-2. Connected to 131-3, piping 131-
1 is connected to one side of the union 74 (FIGS. 3 and 4) leading to the detection passage 73 in the inner head 42 of the sampling section 32,
The other end of the union 74 is selectively connected to the cell 121 or the cell 122-1 via a pipe 134-1 and a switching valve 136. The pipe 131-2 is connected to one side of a union 70 leading to the detection passage 68 in the intermediate head 44 of the sampling section 32, and the other side of the union 70 is connected to the pipe 134-2.
is connected to cell 122-2 via. Piping 131-3
is connected to one of the unions 62 leading to the detection passage 60 in the outer head 46 of the collection section 32, and the other of the unions 62 is connected to the cell 122-3 via piping 134-3. A suction pump 140 is installed in front of the cell 121 for front stage detection.
is placed. Cell 121.1221, 122-2.1
22-3 is piping 135.137-1.137-2.13
7-3 communicates with the atmosphere.

The switching valve 142 is for switching up and down the pneumatic cylinder 34, and its inlet side is connected to the air source 124 via the pressure reducing valve 144 and selectively connected to the piping 146-1, 146-2, and the piping 146-1. When air pressure is introduced into pipe 1462, the cylinder 34 is lowered, and when air pressure is introduced into pipe 1462, the cylinder 34 is raised. Restrictions 147 and 148 control the speed of movement of the piston. FIG. 6 shows the output response waveforms of each detection section when gas is introduced into the gas detector.

At the start of detection, when the atmosphere from the sampling section is introduced into the cell, if there is gas leakage, the output of the detection section will change as shown in Figure 6, and the peak will change depending on the degree of gas leakage. There is. Therefore, from the peak level, it is possible to detect the presence or absence and degree of gas leakage from each leakage portion introduced into each cell.

In FIG. 2, a control circuit 170 is configured as a sequence circuit or a microcomputer that controls the operation of the system described above. Note that this control circuit 170
It is equipped with a peak hold circuit 170a that records the peak of each detection section output described in connection with the figure, and a comparator 170b that compares the peak with a predetermined leakage determination level. The gas leak detection operation by the control circuit 170 will be explained below with reference to flowcharts shown in FIGS. 7-9. When started, purge processing is performed (step 174) after warming up (step 172). For purging, the valve 126 is opened and air is introduced for a predetermined period of time, and the residual gas inside the pipe is replaced with air. The switch ■ is turned on by the container to be detected being transferred on the conveyor 20 (step 176).
), pre-stage detection is started (step 178). FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of pre-stage detection. In this pre-stage detection, the switching valve 136 is connected to the cell 121 side (step 178-1), and the suction pump 140 is started to operate (
Step 178-2), the stopper 24 is activated (Step 178-3). At this time, it is assumed that the air pressure is switched by the switching valve 142 so that the cylinder 34 is in the raised position. After starting the pre-stage detection, the conveyor 20 continues to move the container 9. When the container reaches the sampling section 32, it is stopped, and the atmosphere at the mouth of the container is changed by the suction action of the pump 140 to the passage 72, the other side of the union 74, and the pipe 13 in the sampling section 32, which are located some distance from the container.
4-1, the gas is sucked into the cell 121 via the switching valve 136, and the output level of the detection unit 120-1 changes depending on the presence or absence of gas leakage. Suction by pump 140 is switched ■
is turned on and continues for 1 to 2 seconds after the container is stopped by the stopper 24, the judgment of the previous stage detection is made by the comparator 17.
0b (step 178-4), the pump is stopped (step 178-5), and the switching valve 136 is turned off (step 178-6>).In the previous stage detection, the opening of the container 9 is located away from the sampling part 32. However, even if the mouth of the container 9 that is leaking a large amount of gas and the sampling section 32 are located apart, the atmosphere will not respond to the sampling section 32. It is possible to collect and detect this because it drifts to a certain point.Containers with a large amount of leakage may have the drink itself leaking from the mouth, so we performed the following close-contact individual detection. If this happens, there is a risk that beverages may be introduced into the piping, but this invention allows containers with severe leakage to be checked in advance and eliminated.

Suppose that there is a leak as a result of the previous stage detection (step 182
(Yes), the flag NG indicating that the front stage is defective is set (step 184). If there is no leakage as a result of the previous stage detection, the flag NG is reset (step 186). Individual detection is then performed (step 188). Details of individual detection are as shown in FIG. For individual detection, the switching valve 142 is switched so that the sampling section 32 is lowered (step 188-1).

Since the lower end 46a of the head 46 is expanded during this descent, the collection part 32 is introduced and guided into the container mouth even if there is some misalignment of the cores between the collection part 32 and the container mouth. .

Then, the sealing part
, Y, and Z are sealed from the outside leaving a very small annular space. When the sealing is completed (step 188-2),
Next, the switching valve 126 is operated (step tg8-3),
Air flows through pipes 131-1.1312 and 131-3, their respective annular spaces, and pipes 134-1°134-2.134
-3 via cell 122-1.122-2.122-3
was introduced into the pipe 137-1.137-2.137-3
is discharged through. This discharge time is set to 0.7 seconds (Step 188-4>. When this time has elapsed, the switching valve 126 is turned off (Step 188-5), and the introduction of air is stopped for a while, and during this time the air in the vicinity of each seal is Wait for the leaked gas to be collected in the sealed annular space. When this gas residence time (1 second) has elapsed (step 188-6), the switching valve 126 is turned on again and air is supplied, so that each seal The atmospheric gas in the sealed annular space of x, y, z is pumped to each cell 122-1.122-2.122-3 (step 188-7), while the peak hold circuit 170a is connected to the detection unit 120-2. 120-3.120-4
In step 188-8), the peaks of the detection signal corresponding to the intensity changes of the infrared rays passing through each cell are individually held. The gas concentration in each sealed annular space can be determined from the size of this gap. When a sufficient time (0.7 seconds) has elapsed to detect a change in gas concentration (step 188-9>,
The switching valve 126 is turned off (step 188-10).

The switching valve 142 is turned off (step 188-11),
Cylinder 34 rises. In this invention, since each of the seal portions x, y, and z are sealed separately, it is possible to distinguish and precisely detect gas leakage from each seal. Since it is sealed, it is difficult to sample the gas by suction as in the previous stage detection, but since the operation is to push air as a carrier gas from the air source, it is easy to introduce gas into the sealed space. You will get it.

In FIG. 7, after the individual detection, the results of the individual detection are judged in step 190, and if it is determined that there is no individual leak in each seal, the leak flag NG is reset (step 192), and it is determined that there is a leak. If so, a flag NG is set (step 193).
. When it is determined that there are no leaks, the inspection ends (Step 1)
94), the process from the beginning is repeated.

If there is any leakage, the amount of leakage including the leakage from the previous stage is indicated (step 196), and an abnormality lamp is lit (step 198). After the reset switch is pressed (Yes in step 120), the flag NG is reset (step 122).

Regarding the control of the stopper, when the individual detection of the preceding containers is completed and the switch (2) is turned off, the stopper 22 is released and the movement of the container 9 on the conveyor 20 is permitted. When the switch (2) is turned on due to the movement of the container, the stopper 22 is turned on again to stop the next container. At this time, the stopper 24 is turned on at the same time. When the container moves to the position of the stopper 24, the switch (2) is turned on and a determination is made as to the previous stage detection, and if there is no leakage at this time, individual detection is executed. The stopper 24 is released only when there is no leakage as a result of the pre-stage detection and individual detection, or when the reset switch is pressed even if there is a leakage, the container is moved and the switch (2) is turned off. The above steps are repeated until the inspection is completed.

FIG. 10 is a timing diagram of the main operations of the first embodiment described above, and when the switch ■ is turned off at time t, (b),
The stopper 22 is released (L), the container is moved, the switch ■ is turned on (A), and the front stage detection is started (C).
At the same time, the stopper 24 is turned on (O). When the container moves to the position where it is stopped by the stopper 24 at time t2, the switch (2) is turned on (B), and when it is determined that there is no leakage in the front stage based on the front stage detection signal (D) from the detection unit 120-1 ( No at step 182 in FIG. 7) Time t
.

Individual detection starts (to), and the cylinder is lowered (to).
to). At this time, the detection unit 120-2.120-3.12
If there is no individual leak according to the detection signal (H) from 0-4, the individual detection ends at time t4, the cylinder rises, and immediately after that, the second stopper 24 is retracted (1
4"). After that, the container is moved, the switch (2) is turned off (1,"), the stopper 22 is released, and the next container is inspected. When the detection signal of the detection unit 120-1 exceeds the judgment reference level l, (d) the previous stage NG signal is output at time t5, and when the reset switch is pressed at time i6 (nu), the second stopper 24 is released. and preparations are made for the next stage of detection of the container. Individual signal (chi) is the judgment standard level! If gas leakage is detected exceeding ', individual NG is given at t7.
When the signal is output (Yes) and the reset switch is pressed at time t8 (No), the second stopper 24 is released, the container moves, the switch (■) is turned off, and the stopper 22 is released to start the next container. Move on to inspection.

FIG. 11 is a piping configuration diagram similar to FIG. 5 of the second embodiment. The differences from FIG. 5 will be mainly explained.

Parts that achieve the same functions are given the same numbers and their explanations are omitted. In the first embodiment, the preliminary inspection was performed by suctioning the atmosphere through the pipe 134-1 formed in the head 42, but in this embodiment, a dedicated pipe 300 is provided, and one end is connected to the cell through the pump 140. 120. The other end of the pipe 300 opens slightly above the passage point of the mouth of the container in the first station. Since a dedicated piping 300 is provided for the front stage detection, the piping 134-1 of the cell 122-1 is always connected to the gasket 72 of the head 42. In the second embodiment, the flow direction of the container is shown reversed for convenience of illustration.

In addition to the above, in this embodiment, the outlet side piping 137-1
．． 137-2.137-3 are assembled and the on-off valve 302.
It communicates with a vacuum chamber 306 via an orifice 304 . A suction pump 308 is connected to the vacuum chamber 306, and the pressure of the vacuum chamber 306 is somewhat reduced by the pump 308. This embodiment is intended to solve the following problems in the first embodiment.

That is, in the individual inspection, each seal part x, y, z is sealed from the outside by the gasket 56, 64, 72, air from the pressurized air source 124 is forced into the annular sealed chamber, and at that time, the seal parts x, y, , z to each cell 12.
2-1.122-2.122-3, the air as a carrier gas from the pressurized air source 124 has a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure when it is introduced into the sealed space. Therefore, the gas is forced into the seal portion in the sealed space. Therefore, it takes some time for the gas to return from the seal,
There is a problem in that the time required to wait for this is longer. In this embodiment, a vacuum chamber 306 is installed and communicates with each sealed space via cells, so the on-off valve 126 on the pressurized air source 124 side and the on-off valve 302 on the vacuum side are simultaneously turned on for a predetermined period of time. By doing so, it is possible to eliminate the pressure increase in the sealed space of the seal portion. That is,
If the throttle valve 128 and the orifice 304 are adapted so that the flow rate of air that is forced to be sent and the flow rate of air that is sucked into the vacuum chamber are approximately equal, the sealed space can be maintained at approximately atmospheric pressure. Since gas is prevented from entering the seal portion, leaked gas can reach the cell sooner, and the detection time can be shortened as much as possible.

In addition to the above, in this embodiment, a dedicated piping 30 for front-stage detection
0, there is an advantage that the system is simplified compared to the first embodiment in which front-stage detection and individual detection are connected. The operation of this embodiment is shown in Figures 12 and 13.
This will be explained using the flowchart shown in the figure. Front stage detection is the first
The operation is schematically shown in FIG. 2. When the container 9 arrives at the first station, the switch (2) is turned on to detect this (step 300), the first stopper 22 is driven (step 302), and the previous stage detection is executed. (Step 30
4). If there is no leakage, the first stopper 22 is released and the next pre-stage detection is performed unless the inspection is over (step 307). If there is a leak in the front stage (Yes in step 306), the leak amount is indicated (step 309), a lamp is lit (step 310), and when the release switch is turned on (step 312), the inspection is restarted.

The operation of the individual detection is schematically illustrated in FIG.
When a container arrives at the station, the switch ■ is turned on (step 320), and individual detection is performed (step 32).
4). If there is no leakage, the second stopper 24 is released (step 328), unless the inspection is finished (step 328).
30), the following individual detections are performed. If there is an individual leak (Yes in step 326), the leak amount is indicated (step 332), a lamp is lit (step 334),
When the release switch is turned on (step 336), the inspection is restarted.

In the system of this second embodiment, the pre-stage detection and the individual detection are controlled at independent timings, so there is no need to wait for the pre-stage detection before performing the individual detection, so there is no waiting time, compared to the first embodiment. There is an advantage that the processing speed can be improved by comparison.

〔effect〕

According to this invention, when detecting a leak in a gas-containing liquid container, the atmosphere at the mouth of the container is first sampled without contact to detect the gas, and the mouth is contacted only for containers in which no leakage is detected. Gas is detected by sampling the atmosphere. Therefore, containers with large leaks that are detected to have leaked without contact are eliminated in advance, and the second stage of contact detection is performed.
This prevents leaked liquid from entering the piping of the device, eliminating the need for associated cleaning and replacement work.

In addition, since the contact-type detection head can be moved independently for each seal part of the container, the atmosphere of each seal part can be detected independently from each other, and only defective seal parts can be identified. This makes it convenient for repairing containers. In addition, since each seal is sealed independently, the volume of the space for collecting leaked gas can be reduced, enabling fast-response detection and increasing the speed of the conveyor on the container production line. I can do it.

Furthermore, since the atmosphere at the sampled mouth is introduced into the gas detection unit using a carrier gas, accurate detection is possible without being affected even if the same gas as the leaked gas is included in the atmosphere around the inspection device. Become.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently and accurately perform a leakage test on a gas-containing liquid container.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the inspection head and the container mouth. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the inspection device of the present invention seen from the side. Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view of the sampling section and position control device (Figure 4).
It is shown along the line ■-■ in the figure. ). FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the air piping system of the apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the time after ventilating the cell and the output level of the detection unit. 7 to 9 are flowcharts illustrating the operation of the control device of the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a timing chart explaining the operation of the control device of the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the air piping system of the second embodiment. FIGS. 12 and 13 are flowcharts illustrating the operation of the control device of the second embodiment. ... Container (beer barrel), IO... Barrel mouth 2...
Fitting, 20... Conveyor 2.24... Stopper, 30... Inspection device 2... Collection section, 34...
Air cylinder 6... position adjuster, 40... detection device 42...-inner head, 44... intermediate head 46...
- Outer head, 56... first gasket 60... detection passage, 62... union 64... second gasket, 68... detection passage 70... union, 72...
Third gasket 73...detection passage, 74...union 80.82...spring 88...lower stage, 90...upper stage 92
... lower plate, 94 ... upper plate 100,
102.104...Bearing, 120...Detection unit 121, 122-1.122-2.122-3...Cell 126...-Opening/closing valve, 140...Suction pump 142
...Switching valve, 170...Control circuit 170a...Peak hold circuit, 170b...Comparator section Figure 36...Position lll1! I@ /U”'l-憫U”姶56.64.72...Packing 42...Inner head 44...Intermediate head 46...Outer head 62, 70.74...Union No. Figure diagram

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a gas leak detection method in which an atmosphere sampled from the mouth of a gas-containing liquid container is guided to a detection area and gas in the atmosphere is detected, the atmosphere from the mouth of the gas-containing liquid container is detected. As a first step, gas sampling is performed with the mouth open to the outside, and the first stage gas leak detection is performed from the atmosphere sampled with the mouth open to the outside. If it is determined that there is no gas leak through gas leak detection in the first stage, the atmosphere is sampled from the mouth of the gas-containing liquid container in the second stage with the mouth sealed from the outside, A gas leak detection method for a gas-containing liquid container, characterized in that the presence or absence of a gas leak is detected. 2. A gas leak detection device for a gas-containing liquid container, comprising the following components: a transport means for transporting the gas-containing liquid container to be detected; and an atmosphere at the mouth of the gas-containing container at a predetermined station along the transport means. A first sampling means collects the atmosphere at the mouth of the container containing the gas to be detected at a predetermined station along the conveying means with the mouth opened to the outside, and the mouth is sealed to the outside. a second sampling means for detecting gas leakage in the atmosphere sampled by the first sampling means and the second sampling means; A control means for controlling the second sampling means so that the atmosphere is sampled by the second sampling means when the second sampling means is not recognized. 3. A sampling device for detecting leakage of a gas-containing liquid container, which fits into the mouth of the container and seals the mouth from the outside to collect gas, and the mouth of the container is the point where the gas leaks. a plurality of annular seals, and the collection device includes a head that individually engages each annular seal, each head being individually movable to externally seal each seal independently. A leakage gas sampling device for a gas-containing liquid container, characterized in that each head comprises a gas inlet connected to a carrier gas supply source and a gas outlet connected to means for detecting the gas.